1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a punch down tool for punching the core wires of a network cable into a jack and cutting off the unnecessary parts of the core wires and more particularly, to such a punch down tool, which allows replacement of the punch down block to fit different jacks having different specifications.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional jack 200, as shown in FIG. 5, generally comprises a rectangular body 201. The rectangular body 201 comprises two sets of protruding blocks 202 protruded from the front wall thereof and arranged at two sides relative to a cable groove 203 on the middle of the front wall, and a wire groove 204 defined between each of adjacent protruding blocks 202 of each set of protruding blocks 202. A network cable 300 is set in the cable groove 203, and the core wires 301 of the network cable 300 are respectively inserted into the wire grooves 204 and punched down into contact with respective insulation displacement contacts (not shown) in the body 201 electrically.
Conventionally, a punch down tool having punch-down elements 400 is used for forcing the core wires 301 into the respective wire grooves 204 and cutting off the parts of the core wires 301 that extend out of the protruding blocks 202, as shown in FIG. 6.
Similar punch down tools are known as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,744 discloses a punch down tool, entitled “Tool for connector assembly”, which includes a main tool body having an electrical connector assembly holder. The holder includes first and second cavities. The first cavity includes spaced anvils and removably retains an electrical connector end cap between the anvils. A cutting ram is opposed to the first cavity and includes two cutting blades that are translatable between disengaged and engaged positions to trim and sever excess wire lengths from the electrical connector end cap. The second cavity removably retains the electrical connector end cap and a jack housing. A termination ram is opposed to the second cavity and movably mounted between disengaged and engaged positions to terminate the jack housing with the end cap. A trigger mechanism is operably connected to both the cutting ram and the termination ram.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,603 discloses a punch down tool, entitled “Method and wire termination tool for retaining wire in receptacle” which includes a pistol handle having a trigger which is operative to bring an actuator into engagement with a wire-insertion and cutting head carrier. The cutting head carrier retains a multiple wire-insertion and cutting head having a plurality of unitary wire-insertion and cutting blades, and is linearly translatable along an axis of the handle towards a nose end of the tool. The carrier cavity is sized such that the cutting head blades protrude from beyond the carrier, so that they may readily engage the reduced capacity wire termination receptacle retained in a wire termination receptacle holder installed at the nose end of the tool handle. As the operator grips the handle and squeezes the trigger, the carrier will be linearly pushed along the handle axis toward the wire termination receptacle holder, so as to precisely bring the wire termination receptacle and the wire-insertion and cutting head into engagement with one another, and cause the unitary structure-configured blades of the cutting head to seat and cut wires in the wire termination receptacle.
In the aforesaid two prior art designs, the electrical connector assembly holder or cutting head carrier is a fixed type, not replaceable. For processing a different jack having a different specification, for example, a jack configured to receive core wires of a network cable in a different direction, a different design of electrical connector assembly holder or cutting head carrier must be used. Thus, a user may have to prepare different punch down tools or wire termination tools to fit different application requirements, increasing the cost and reducing product competitiveness.
To improve the aforesaid problems, U.S. Pat. No. 7,073,245 discloses a punch down tool, entitled “Multiple-wire termination tool with translatable jack and cutting blade precision alignment carrier”, which provides a support housing for a linearly translatable, and removable carrier.
However, due to structural limitations, replacement of the carrier is complicated and inconvenient. A further improvement is desired.